Message-oriented middleware is infrastructure that increases the interoperability, portability, and flexibility of software applications by allowing the software applications to communicate one with another by transmitting messages therebetween. Message-oriented middleware reduces the complexity of developing software applications that span multiple operating systems and network protocols by insulating application developers from the details of the various operating system and network interfaces. Accordingly, software developers can more easily integrate new software applications with existing software applications.
Typical message-oriented middleware configurations allow messages to be transmitted between software applications as cleartext only. However, it is often desirable to encrypt messages transmitted between software applications. Moreover, it is often desirable to selectively determine at run time of the software applications whether to transmit messages in encrypted form or in cleartext form.